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Defense team tries to tie NBA champion Chris Bosh to Palisades arsonist case, citing firework evidence: report
Chris Bosh has been drawn into the defence case of Jonathan Rinderknecht, who is being retried on charges of starting the Palisades fires. Rinderknecht’s lawyers say evidence of a firework launched from a property Bosh owned could support witness accounts of fireworks as a possible cause of the blaze.
The defence wants retired Cal Fire investigator Michael T. Cole to testify that marks and a burn and smoke trail at the property indicate a launched firework. Prosecutors are seeking to exclude his testimony, arguing his opinion relies on six drone photographs of a brown stain and no close inspection or testing. The Lachman Fire ignited on 1 January 2025; Rinderknecht’s first trial ended in a mistrial, and he remains in federal custody after being arrested in October 2025.
In short
- Bosh’s former property is cited in Rinderknecht’s defence.
- A retired fire investigator says marks indicate a launched firework.
- Prosecutors challenge the investigator’s methods and qualifications.